I'm So Inspired by You
by Before the Sun Sets
Summary: When Angel and Collins are called on to run damage control yet again, Collins decides to kick Roger into action. AngelCollins and RogerMimi, Twoshot, second chapter songfic to Billy Joel’s “The Longest Time”
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I don't own, I RENT. (Don't own Billy Joel, either)

**Summary:** When Angel and Collins are called on to run damage control yet again, Collins decides to kick Roger into action. AngelCollins and RogerMimi, Twoshot, second chapter songfic to Billy Joel's "The Longest Time"

**A/N:** Uh, hi. I know I've been gone for ages, but I'm trying to get back into fanfiction and just got an explosion of inspiration from Billy Joel songs, so expect some new stuff coming up. This chapter has lots of Collins/Roger friendship. Woot.

"Hey, honey?"

"Mm?" Collins looked up from his book to see Angel standing in the door, biting her bottom lip. He immediately set his book down, got up, and went over to her. "Baby, what's wrong?"

"It's Roger and Mimi..."

"They broke up _again?!_" Angel nodded, and Collins shook his head in exasperation. "Those two… we'd better go do damage control."

-+-

After leaving Angel at Mimi's apartment, Collins headed up the stairs to the Loft. He grabbed the door and threw it open, walking inside with a bellow:

"ROGER. GET YOUR ANGSTY ASS OUT HERE _RIGHT NOW_!"

Mark nearly fell off his stool at the kitchen counter. "Collins? What the hell?!"

Collins looked at him. "And you, you get your skinny albino ass outside and film some random hobo for a while. Me and Roger have got to have a little talk."

"This about Mimi?" Mark asked, gathering up his camera bag. Collins looked at him, and he nodded. "Right then." Then, in an exasperated tone, "Good luck. You'll need it." He left, sliding the big metal door shut behind him. Collins turned to the empty room and took a deep breath.

"_**ROGER WILHELM DAVIS. **_IF YOU DON'T—"

"I'm _right here_, Collins." Roger's irritable voice came out of his bedroom, shortly followed by the rocker himself, his long blond hair going every which way.

Collins pointed to the couch. "Sit."

"What—"

"_Sit._"

Roger sat. He watched Collins pace back and forth in front of him for a while before remarking, "Look, I have better things to do than watch you wear a hole in the floor. You clearly have something to say, so say it."

"Fine." Collins whirled on him. "What the hell do you think you're doing with Mimi?"

Roger's eyes widened in anger. "What?! Look, Collins, I'm doing my best—"

"No, you're not!" Collins waved his arms around. "You're not trying at all, because you're scared. No, don't deny it! You know as well as I do that I'm right. Yes, Mimi has AIDS. Yes, she could very easily die at any time, but that doesn't _matter_! So could I, so could Angel, and so could _you_. But me and Angel are doing just fine, and Mimi certainly doesn't seem to have any problems from her end! If you really love her, it shouldn't _matter_ that she has AIDS. If you don't , then get the hell over yourself and end it before you keep hurting Mimi."

Roger was silent for a long time, staring at his plaid-clad legs. Finally, he looked up and asked, "How do you know?"

"How do I know what?"

"How do you know that you love Angel?"

"Well, I—" Collins stopped and frowned. He had to think about this one. He flopped onto the couch beside Roger, his brow furrowed in thought. "Every time I see her, my heart skips a beat and suddenly I feel lighter than air. I get this tingly feeling all through my body, and suddenly it doesn't seem like my troubles really _matter_ anymore. I'd die for her, and I'd die without her. I want to spend every possible minute we have left together." He paused.

Roger opened his mouth, but Collins stopped him. "You make one crack about how sappy that sounded and I will personally smash your goddamn guitar into exactly thirty-four pieces."

Another moment passed in silence, and then suddenly Roger started to laugh. Collins raised his eyebrows, but couldn't help chuckling himself.

"I'm such an idiot, Collins." Roger said softly once his laughs had subsided.

"Yeah you are. Especially if it took you this long to figure it out." Collins grinned at him and got up, adjusting his precious beanie on his head. "So, what are you gonna do when Mimi comes back up here, huh?"

Roger stood up as well, smirking just a little bit. "Why would I tell _you_ that?"

Collins raised his eyebrows again. "So I can make sure you're not being an insensitive asshole like you have in the past?"

He shook his head. "I'm not."

Collins just shook his head, grinning, and turned to go. Roger stopped him. "Wait. I have an idea to make it up to Mimi, but I need you and Mark's help."

"Sure thing, rocker boy." Collins walked over to the window and clambered out onto the rickety fire escape. Leaning over the railing, he bellowed, "Oi, albino, get your ass up here!"

Mark's voice came back faint. "But I _just_ found a hobo to film!"

"Don't care! Up. Now."

"Fine!"

As he climbed back through the window, Collins met Roger's eyes. A moment later, they both burst out laughing.

"A _hobo_?!" Roger choked, clutching his stomach.

Collins didn't manage a response until Mark slid the door back and came in, looking sullen. "Y'know, pumpkinhead, I wasn't being _serious_."

"Well, what else did you expect me to do?" Mark demanded, making a face. "I didn't exactly know how long you'd be, so I didn't want to go far. The only people _around_ are hobos, but most of them chuck stuff at you."

He got a stubbornly indignant look on his face as both of the others continued laughing. Finally, he glanced at the clock on the wall. "Okay, it's been five minutes. You can stop now."

Roger straightened up, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. "Oh, God. A _hobo_." He snickered.

Mark folded his arms. "What did you want me for, anyway? Comic relief?"

As the last of his chuckles subsided, Roger was suddenly all business again. "No, I need your help, actually."

"Who says I'd _want_ to help you, after you laughed at me?" The others stared at him. "…Fine. It's for Mimi?"

Roger nodded. "Now, here's what I need you guys to do…"


	2. Chapter 2

An hour passed. Suddenly, someone knocked gently on the door. Roger exchanged a glance with Collins, who nodded. He and Mark ran over and hid behind the couch.

Roger slid the door open to reveal Mimi, her eyes red from crying. "Look, Roger, I—"

"Wait." He cut her off, reached out, and took her hand. "I've got something to show you." A clearly confused look on her face, Mimi allowed him to lead her into the apartment. Curious as to where Collins had disappeared to, Angel followed, closing the door behind her and remaining there to watch.

Roger sat Mimi down on the coffee table, facing the couch. Mimi gave a watery giggle, getting up long enough to brush some magazines onto the floor before sitting down again. "Roger, what is this about?"

"Ssh, you'll see. It's my way of saying I'm sorry." He took a step back, standing right in front of the couch. Taking a deep breath, he began to hit the floor with his foot in a steady rhythm. Mark and Collins popped up from behind the couch, and the three began a three-part harmony. Collins took the low part, Mark took the high part (his falsetto had Angel in fits of silent giggles by the doorway), and Roger took the main part.

"Woah-oh-oh-oh. It's for the longest time. Woah-oh-oh. It's for the longest—"

Mark and Collins provided background music, while Roger caught Mimi's eyes and started to sing to her. "If you said goodbye to me tonight, there would still be music left to write." Roger spread his arms and smiled gently. "What else could I do? I'm so inspired by you. That hasn't happened for the longest time."

He adopted a sort of storytelling pose. "Once, I thought my innocence was gone. Now I know that happiness goes on. That's where you found me, when you put your arms around me," Ergo, when she'd hugged and kissed him that Christmas. He was apologizing for pushing her away, Mimi realized. "I haven't been there for the longest time."

They began the three part harmony again, sending Angel into more silent laughter. "Woah-oh-oh-oh. For the longest time. Woah-oh-oh. For the longest time."

Back to Roger soloing; "I'm that voice you're hearing in the hall, and the greatest miracle of all is how I need you, and how you needed me, too: that hasn't happened for the longest time."

Mimi suddenly understood what he was saying. He was telling her in his own way that he loved her, and that she wasn't just some replacement for April. A slow smile spread across her face, making Roger's heart skip a beat as he continued. "Maybe this won't last very long, but you feel so right, and I could be wrong. Maybe I've been hoping too hard, but I've gone this far and it's more than I hoped for."

They'd fought so many times over the knowledge that they could die pretty unexpectedly at any time, and Roger was trying to show that he finally accepted it. Gazing at him happily, Mimi felt a tear sneak out of her eye and creep down her cheek. Roger reached out and wiped it away with his thumb, singing, "Who knows how much further we'll go on. I know I'll be sorry when you're gone. I'll take my chances; I forgot how nice romance is. I haven't been there for the longest time."

He pulled away, gaining an apologetic air. "I had second thoughts at the start. I said to myself; 'Hold on to your heart'" At the start, he still hadn't really been over April. "Now I know the woman that you are. You're wonderful so far, and it's more than I hoped for."

_Pessimist_. Mimi thought jokingly. Roger saw her grin and smiled back, kneeling down on the ground in front of her. "I don't care what consequence it brings. I have been a fool for lesser things." He reached out and took her hand. "I want you _so bad_, I think you ought to know that I intend to hold you for the longest time."

He gazed into her eyes as he and Mark and Collins sang, "Woah-oh-oh-oh, it's for the longest time." Then he leaned forward and kissed her, leaving his two backup singers to finish, "Woah-oh-oh, it's for the longest tiiiiiime…"

They all were quiet for a moment, watching Roger and Mimi kiss. Roger had his hands on Mimi's waist, and Mimi had looped her arms around his neck.

After a few minutes, Angel commented from the doorway, "You two need to breathe soon, you know."

They continued about thirty more seconds, then finally broke apart, panting for breath. Roger smiled and rested his forehead on Mimi's.

Collins looked over at Angel, who was grinning widely. "Babe, what did you find so goddamn funny while we were singing?"

Angel adopted an innocent look. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Collins gave her his 'oh-please' look, which he used on his students a lot. "You were cracking up pretty good during the choruses. What was so funny?"

Everyone waited for a moment for her to answer. Finally, she snickered and said, "Sorry, Mark, but your falsetto was hilarious."

Collins started laughing. "You know, she's got a point."

Mark took a dramatic bow. "Thank you, thank you," he said sarcastically, "I'll be here all… well, a long time."

Mimi looked around at the other three. "Thank you, guys. For helping us." She smiled at Roger.

He gulped, a weird look coming into his eyes. "Yeah, thanks. Now, out. Me and Mimi have some… things to do. Y'know."

"Oh, I know." Collins agreed, grabbing Mark by the scruff of the neck and half-dragging him towards the door. "Time to go, albino."

Angel giggled and followed them out, sliding the door shut behind her. As they walked down the stairs, she and Collins started a little making out of their own. Mark marveled at their ability to walk down the steps and/or sidewalk without tripping while firmly attached at the lips. Then again, they had a lot of practice.

As the two headed off down the street, Mark sighed, pulling out his camera and beginning to wind it up.

"I wonder if that hobo is still there…"


End file.
